Introduction

I have formed Michael Spoors Solicitors to meet the specific demand, here on the Isle of Wight, for a specialist Family Law firm; a firm that understands the complexities of this rapidly changing area of the law and can advise and support clients through this highly sensitive field of relationship breakdown. I have worked in this area of law for more than ten years and it has long been my opinion that clients need specialist advice and support to cope with the very particular issues that arise at this testing time.

Changes in the law are happening at such a pace that only by working in the field every day, can lawyers hope to stay at the leading edge of Family Law, thereby getting the best result for their clients.

For this reason, I have brought a team together with the sole aim of providing you with the best service and support available as we work together to deliver the results you seek. Before forming Michael Spoors Solicitors, I have enjoyed a highly successful legal career, delivering winning representation for my clients. I have regularly represented high net-worth clients involving highly complex matters in divorce including share holdings in private limited companies, foreign assets, trusts and complex disclosure issues.

I have brought a team together to assist you with all aspects of relationship breakdown, including financial distribution on divorce, child residence, child contact, relocation of a child, child maintenance, cohabitee disputes and more.

By specialising in this area of the law and dealing with Family cases every day, we are able to keep abreast of the constantly changing rules and precedents; the very latest case law on the subject and the most successful strategies to ensure that you receive the best advice available.

We also understand how difficult this time in your life can be. We will do our utmost to smooth the way through to a successful conclusion by giving you prompt and straightforward advice in plain English and being available, by personal meeting, phone, or email when you need us – we enjoy providing the very best of service to ensure success in each case.

Michael Spoors, Solicitor.

The issues around relationship breakdown, whether it be divorce, separation, disputes regarding children or regarding money, are highly sensitive. Emotions run high. Calm clear advice is needed.

You will wish to hear what your rights are, what you are entitled to, how the law works, what you can expect to happen to yourself, your children, your business and your family. I have formed Michael Spoors Solicitors to provide you with the best possible advice from a specialist in the field. You will receive advice promptly in a practical, understandable and sensitive way to enable you to begin to plan the next stage of your life.

Who I Am:

I specialise in family law. I am very successful in my field, specialising in all kinds of family law disputes, including divorce, financial distribution on divorce, and all aspects of child welfare.

I commonly work on high profile and high net-worth cases with assets comprising of international companies, multiple homes, inherited wealth and international property.

I am renowned for my problem solving capacity, indepth knowledge of the law and strong negotiating skills. Clients have often recognised that I ‘go the extra mile’ to give practical, accurate and easy to understand advice.

What I Can Do For You:

I will represent you with passion and commitment, doing my utmost to ensure that you achieve the result you desire.

I will be personally involved in every case, working with my team of experienced staff and ensuring you get the best advice available. I will be available for contact by whichever method suits you.

I will bring together a team of experts to address every aspect of your circumstances, ensuring that you receive advice and assistance throughout this challenging time

Why Choose Us?

We are a law firm that specialises in Family Law, the only such firm in Newport, and as such we are uniquely able to offer you advice and assistance that is based on the latest thinking in this ever changing branch of law.

Here are just a few of the other things that make us stand out from the crowd:

We pride ourselves on our levels of service. We will answer communications immediately, and work proactively with you, providing advice accurately and quickly. We are available by telephone, fax, email, text or personal meeting.

We stand out from other law firms on the Isle of Wight, having dealt with highly complex matters in divorce concerning private and public companies, foreign assets, trusts, complex disclosure issues, and more.

We represent our clients regularly at court when required, either locally on the Island, in Southampton or Portsmouth , centrally in London or across the country when appropriate.

We have represented clients at the highest courts in the country; at both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

The Team

In forming Michael Spoors Law I have brought together an experienced and expert support staff.

The team includes Alex Newman, Assistant Solicitor and two legal secretaries. In addition we are supported by back office staff who provide technical assistance to ensure we can concentrate on providing a personal service of the highest quality – and one that meets your own particular requirements. We also have a strong network of professional advisors that can be called upon to provide you with all the specialist expertise your circumstance requires.

We are a young company, fresh and enthusiastic in our pursuit of excellence, however across the team we have over 50 years of legal experience – all working to ensure you receive the best representation.

Michael Spoors

Owner/Solicitor

Alexandra Newman

Assistant Solicitor

What we do

Family Law

Whether you are facing divorce, separation, domestic abuse or other family law issues – we can help you through what can often be a distressing and confusing time.

We know that family law matters are an extremely sensitive area and we are committed to providing one-to-one support and advice, as well as expert legal services.

We offer practical and pragmatic solutions on all family law matters, including:

Divorce

Divorce settlements / financial settlements on divorce

Pre-nuptial agreements and post-nuptial agreements

Cohabitation

Child issues

Child abduction

Civil partnerships

Inheritance Act claims

Injunctions

International and expat divorce

Child Support Agency (CSA) and child maintenance

As specialist family law solicitors, we are always looking to innovate and find better ways to do things. Beyond the expertise which we have in our own team, we also have contacts with numerous experts in a wide variety of areas, with whom we work regularly and who we can instruct to provide their expert advice to assist in your case.

Our external expert resources include the following:

Counsellors and life coaches – to help you cope emotionally with issues arising from the breakdown of your marriage

Psychologists and psychiatrists – for use in child and financial matters

Accountants (forensic / tax) – to advise on business interests including taxation issues

Actuaries – to advise on pensions

Surveyors – to value and report on commercial, residential and agricultural properties

Medical experts – for use in child and financial matters

Valuers of bespoke items such as classic cars, antiques and fine art.

Divorce

When a relationship breaks down it can often be a stressful and confusing time. You may be unsure as to what route would be best: divorce or separation. We can help you decide on what the best option is for you.

In order to be eligible for divorce or separation, the marriage has to have broken down irretrievably and be beyond repair, as a result of one of the following:

Adultery

Unreasonable behaviour

Desertion after two years or more

Separation of two years or more where both spouses consent

Separation of five years or more

We will go through all of these grounds with you and explain the implications of each.

Divorce can often be viewed as an intimidating procedure involving endless paperwork and visits to court. We are committed to making the entire process as hassle-free as possible. We will provide you with pragmatic, common sense advice that is affordable and suited to your individual situation. Wherever possible, attendances at court will be avoided and to this end we endeavour to ensure that petitions for divorce are issued by agreement and proceed undefended and essentially by post. Divorce remains a legal process but we realise that for many people this may be their only experience of court and our aim is to de-mystify and simplify the steps involved for you.

We are highly experienced in all matters relating to divorce and separation and will advise you on all related issues, including arrangements and disputes in respect of children and also financial and property issues.

Together with our external expert resources, we can offer you a legal service to meet your specific needs.

Children

When a couple decides to divorce or separate, one of the most pressing concerns for parents is how their children will be affected. We understand the importance of your child’s welfare and will work hard to ensure that their best interests are paramount when decisions are made.

It is always best if arrangements for children can be agreed rather than be imposed by a judge. We recognise that resolving the arrangements for children can be a very emotional and difficult experience. We have the skills and experience to guide you through all options to help you reach a solution that is best for you and your children.

We recognise that in some situations it may be necessary to issue an application at court to protect your children or to enable decisions to be made about where they live and how much time they will spend with each parent and possibly other relatives. We have significant advocacy experience and knowledge of the court process to be able to advise and assist when this is appropriate.

We are committed to providing our clients with a service that is highly personalised and tailored to your individual needs. We aim to provide you with pragmatic, affordable advice and assistance on a wide range of issues, including:

Name changes, schooling and any other concerns you may have about your child’s future.

We are able to advise and assist in situations where social services have become involved either because families have sought their assistance or because of social services concerns. We advise and assist parents at the start of child protection procedures, including attendance at Child Protection Conferences and related advice. We can also represent clients if Care Proceedings are commenced by the Local Authority.

Financial divorce settlements

Reaching a financial settlement can often be the most complicated part of the whole divorce process.

Both parties are required to provide a full and frank disclosure of their finances and an agreement must be reached, with or without court intervention. This is why it’s extremely important to take expert legal advice to make sure you get a fair financial settlement.

The most important factors in any financial settlement are the needs of the parties and welfare of any children. Consideration is also given to:

Contributions each party has made to the marriage, either financially or domestically

Earnings and potential earnings (including pensions)

Properties and other financial assets

Any debt or financial responsibility

Ages and length of the marriage

The standard of living during marriage.

Our expertise in combining excellent negotiation and mediation skills with tough litigation expertise means we can handle the most intricate of financial affairs. We have extensive experience of cases involving companies, partnerships, agricultural assets, off-shore investments and trusts, as well as commercial and international property.

There are a number of different options to take when seeking to resolve financial matters – we can advise you on the best approach to take with your settlement.

Interim financial arrangements

We can also help with interim financial provision if your spouse is not supporting you financially. We will make an emergency application to the court for ‘maintenance pending suit’ – this is a court order that requires your spouse to pay you a fixed monthly sum until the divorce is brought to a conclusion. In addition, we can seek an order that your spouse assist you in meeting your legal cost of the divorce process.

If there is a risk your spouse may be trying to hide or dispose of assets, we can also arrange for injunctions, which will freeze assets until the divorce has been concluded.

Contact Us

Contact us now for your FREE initial appointment. Our offices are based in the centre of Newport.